A Matter of Trust
by stress
Summary: Five times when Hatter told the truth, and one time when Alice actually believed him. Alice/Hatter. Six short scenes set during the run of the mini-series. Complete.
1. do i need a reason?

Disclaimer: _The characters in this story are the property of SyFy and Nick Willing and are only used for fan related purposes; any dialogue used is from the actual mini-series and is only used to further the story._

**--**

**A Matter of Trust**

--

_Five times when Hatter told the truth, and one time when Alice actually believed him._

--

**i. **_do i need a reason?_

Hatter, the man in charge of the Tea House, listened intently to the dark-haired beauty as she plainly gave her story. Antsy as ever, he alternated between standing, sidling up as close to her as he could get without her making a face at him before sitting back down again to take another sip of tea off his cup.

He'd never heard of an oyster escaping Scarab before; he especially never thought the dimwitted rat catcher would be the one to find her wandering the back alleys and bring her straight to Hatter's tea shop in exchange for a quick fix. Her story was interesting, the matter-of-fact way she told it even more so. She wanted to save her boyfriend, that much was clear. It was just as obvious that she had no idea what sort of world she'd stumbled into, recklessly trying to save another oyster just like her.

Wonderland wasn't the idyllic land of children's stories it used to be any longer.

No, Wonderland was different—it had changed quite a lot in the last one hundred and fifty years, since the last time an Alice crossed over and brought down the last House of Cards. The White Rabbit, the Hearts Casino, the Resistance and hints and whispers of another Alice… the Alice of Legend… that was Wonderland now.

In between sips of tea—real tea, not the swill the queen was trying to pass of as tea—Hatter, in turn, found himself telling her far more than he knew he should, explaining his world to the girl standing in front of him unflinchingly, drenched from head to toe in mucky water. This Alice was too proud, too stubborn to do anything but listen in disbelief and repeat that she needed to find her boyfriend. And then, most remarkably, he made a choice: he offered to help her find him. Even Hatter couldn't understand his own actions though, being Hatter, a price or the promise of future payment probably figured in there somewhere. Or maybe even some more tea.

He never gave her the chance to refuse him, holding his finger up and hurrying back into the garishness of his office after making sure that Ratty was long gone. The bottle of Pink Nectar from his personal stores was well worth Alice's company—and even more worth paying the smelly rat catcher off and sending him on his way, his prize clutched in his filthy hands. He had plans for her, and already had visions of Dodo doubling his rate for bringing Alice to the underground library.

"Ta da!" Hatter announced theatrically, opening the door to his wardrobe and gesturing at the array of colors inside. Browns, tans, blues, purples, greens… coats and trousers and boots of all sizes, just a smidge of his vast collection of colorful clothes—save for his hats, which never would've fit—were stuffed inside the glass case. "You," he told Alice, picking out a maroon overcoat in particular, "should wear this. It'll cover the glow and stop you from catching a cold."

He held it out as he approached her, acting the part of the gentleman and waiting for her to slip her bare arms inside. The green mark on her arm stood out at Hatter, momentarily making him queasy, and it wasn't just from the strong tea he'd just finished. It wasn't right what the queen did to the oysters; he didn't like or particularly want any reminders. He wanted the brand covered up as much for his sake as for Alice's safety.

But she didn't move. He could see the cogs working behind her blue eyes, the brain behind that pretty face trying to figure him out. Hatter wished her luck—he didn't even have himself figured out yet.

"I have a little money," she said slowly, picking her words carefully, "but I understand you don't use that here."

"Pieces of paper?" he asked, his voice friendly until a curt shake of his head dashed any of Alice's nonexistent hopes. "Pointless."

She accepted that. But, ever the skeptic, she demanded, "Then why would you help me?"

Hatter was used to people second-guessing everything he said. Of course, it usually took them a little more than a quick conversation to discover that maybe the proprietor of the tea shop was less than trustworthy. She was a smart one, and as quick and as good a judge of character as she appeared to be self-surviving and loyal. Alice escaped from Scarab using a hairpin, she followed her drop into the water by trying to bribe Ratty into helping her and now, when offered Hatter's help, she already knew better than to trust him. It was like she could see right through him…

Hmm. He found that undeniably attractive in a girl.

Maybe it was foolish, but Hatter had always gotten by on acting foolish while hiding his ulterior motives behind a cheeky grin and a couple of hat tricks. She was standing there, waiting for his answer, and Hatter certainly gave her one. Sneaking up behind her, so close he could smell the dirty water on the nape of her neck, he asked softly, using a voice he thought his most charming, "Do I need a reason to help a pretty girl in a very wet dress?"

The skeptical look she gave him as she whirled around and purposely took two steps back told him that yes… yes he did.

It was a pity he didn't have one that meant more than that—oh, there was the Resistance, of course, and bringing a fresh oyster to the Dodo for a fair price, and even the romantic in him wanting to reunite Alice with her lost what's-his-face, but a pretty girl in a wet dress…. well, that was certainly worth not going back for a second cup of tea.

But it wasn't part of his act to agree. It was his turn to play the part of the wounded victim. "Oh, I see…" he said, as if only just understanding her reluctance to be so close to him, "you don't trust me."

Not that he could really say he was surprised. They'd only just met after all, and she'd watched as he bartered her from Ratty for a bottle of Pink Nectar, and, yes, his mannerisms weren't quite what a girl—an Alice, at that—from her world would expect, but still? Was such utter disbelief warranted? With a little more gusto than he probably should've—if anything, she seemed to expect a show from him… maybe it was the hat?—Hatter slammed the maroon overcoat over the arm of the couch. All the while, his mind was spinning, trying to come up with the right words to say next, the right thing to do next.

One thing was sure, he wasn't about to let this oyster get away from him so easily. Fate had brought another Alice into Wonderland and Hatter… Hatter was only too happy to help.

Especially if she had a propensity for getting so wet…

* * *

Author's Note: _After getting inside Alice's head and dissecting the scene at the end of Part I and the beginning of Part II with Contrariwise, I really wanted to give Hatter a go. I find these tags a great creative exercise when trying to find a feel and voice for a particular character. And, of course, the Alice/Hatter ship is just so sweet that I wanted to put my spin on some of the defining moments of their relationships. I've already picked the six scenes -- five following this one -- that I'm going to use and I hope to have the next chapter posted soon; since each chapter will be a short ficlet centered around one scene, they write themselves fairly quickly. But, if you would be so kind, it'd be awesome if you wanted to let me know what you guys thought of this first chapter :)_

_-- stress, 12.21.09_


	2. chocolate and cream cake

Disclaimer: _The characters in this story are the property of SyFy and Nick Willing and are only used for fan related purposes; any dialogue used is from the actual mini-series and is only used to further the story._

**--**

**A Matter of Trust**

--

_Five times when Hatter told the truth, and one time when Alice actually believed him._

--

**ii. **_chocolate and cream cake_

They left down the secret path outside the Great Library together, Hatter moving quickly in an attempt to dodge Dodo's threat, Alice because she was still fuming over _his_ attempt to sell off that rock on her finger. He could feel her angry eyes on him, and the blossoming bruise from the impact of Dodo's bullet right above his heart, and inwardly scowled. Well, that plan hadn't worked out the least way he thought it would.

At least he was smart enough to wear his body armor underneath his stylish clothes. He may tell Dodo and Lory and all of them that he was on their side—and, for the right price, he usually was—but that didn't mean he _trusted_ them. Not likely. For all the trust he expected from others, Hatter trusted the core of the Resistance as much as he trusted a grinning Cheshire cat—which was to say not at all.

Hatter had been right to be wary too considering Dodo had just tried to kill them. Damn it, the pompous old bird actually _shot_ him!

But he knew better than to complain to Alice. Hatter avoided making polite conversation, intent on making his way back to the tea shop in one piece before deciding what to do next. He couldn't continue playing the part of the concerned tea proprietor, not after he tried (and failed) to make a deal with Dodo; he rightly suspected she never bought into his act in the first place. If he was being honest, he was surprised that Alice was still tagging along after him. Not that he minded—it was just a little bit odd considering their mad escape from the library.

Or, perhaps, she was still following him because they _had _both escaped…

It wasn't actually his fault, he decided. Besides, how in the world—either world—was he supposed to know that she was wearing the stone of Wonderland? At least her boyfriend's vanishing through the Looking Glass made more sense now. But who was this Jack Chase fellow, anyway, and why did he have that ring? Why did he give it to Alice? And what about this fellow was so great that he deserved having a girl like her coming after him so determinedly like this?

All Hatter had was questions and that irritated him more than he cared to admit. He wasn't a fan of questions—answers, though, answers he liked. He preferred answers, he preferred _having _the answers, he definitely preferred the deck being stacked in his favor… and now look at him: he was running with a fugitive oyster, the stone of Wonderland heavy on her finger and the Resistance soon to be snapping at his heels. And that was nothing compared to what would happen when the Queen of Hearts got wind of what was going on…

When the pair of them was far enough away from the library, and Alice's fiery anger had cooled enough that he wasn't afraid she would shove him off the narrow edge—if, seeing as how scared of heights she was herself, she could get that close—Hatter tried his best to get the answer out of her.

All he got, however, was more praise for this Jack and even more certainty on Alice's part that she would somehow save him from the fate of all oysters who got taken to the Hearts Casino. She didn't care that the Suits would take her out if she just marched into the casino, or that the White Rabbit had probably noticed her escape from Scarab and was looking for her already. She crossed into Wonderland because her Jack was taken and she wasn't going back until she found him and could bring him back into their world with her.

Hatter was just marveling to himself how nice it would be to have someone willing to go to such lengths for him—or even someone to go to those lengths for… before deciding taking a bullet for her had to count _somewhere_—when Alice mentioned her great plan: treat the stone of Wonderland as a bargaining chip to get Jack out of the casino.

Hatter could hardly believe what he had heard. Alice actually wanted to try to use the ring to trade for her boyfriend's release—was she barking mad? If it wasn't for the green brand on her arm that marked her as an oyster, that remark alone would've made it obvious she was from the other world. No one from Wonderland with half a brain would even_ dream_ of taking on the Queen of Hearts by themselves. That's why there was a Resistance after all, and not a Revolution. People rather fancied their heads.

Maybe, he thought wildly, it was something to do with the name of Alice…

Well, he would just have to nip that in the bud. "Ah, no, no… No, you can't negotiate with the queen, she's crazy," he told her. How could he make her understand? Wasn't the Queen of Hearts still the head-obsessed villain in the story Alice knew? "You have to cut your losses, you get the hell out of here while you still can."

"No. I can't just _abandon _Jack. He's innocent," Alice protested, her back to the building, her hands pressed up against to dirty wall to keep her balance. She kept her eyes on him, like he told her to in order to avoid catching sight of the height, but still… it sure was a strange place for this conversation. Then she continued, and Hatter was drawn back into the argument, rather than thinking on it:

"And, besides," she told him stubbornly, "I like him."

"Oh, you like him," Hatter tossed back at her flippantly, walking past Alice and continuing down the narrow path back towards the Tea House. He wasn't sure going up against the Queen of Hearts was worth _love_, let alone _like... _though, he partly decided, that might just have been a hint of jealousy talking.

"Yes," she said, seemingly forgetting about her fear as she made to follow Hatter. "A lot!"

Now, he wondered, perhaps reading too much into it, was she trying to convince him of that, or herself?

He paused, spun on his heel and ended up only a few inches away from Alice's face. "Trust me," he began, knowing the words were useless. After what happened down in the Great Library, he had a better chance of the queen asking him to be an Ace and join her Suits than getting this girl to believe in him. "I… I know a thing or two about liking people and in time, after much chocolate and cream cake, like turns into 'what was his name again'."

"No," she said stubbornly, "not in my world."

Hatter heard the determination in her voice, saw the fierce loyalty and protection written on her face, and knew that it was probably for the best that he left his blue bottle of Hope tea back in his office at the tea shop. And, as they continued to argue, he wondered if he still had his mother's old recipe for cream cake. He had a sneaking suspicion that, when this was all done, he might be the one relying on his old cure for heartache.

When Hatter said he knew a thing or two about liking someone, he wasn't lying.

* * *

Author's Note: _I really want to thank everybody who reviewed and /or put this story on their favorites/alerts list! I'm so glad to see that others liked this too, and I just hope this chapter works as much as the first one. Hatter is such fun to work with and I can't wait to get to the next scene ;) Until then, though, I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday! The next chapter should be up after Christmas._

_-- stress, 12.23.09_


	3. a lucky guy

Disclaimer: _The characters in this story are the property of SyFy and Nick Willing and are only used for fan related purposes; any dialogue used is from the actual mini-series and is only used to further the story._

**--**

**A Matter of Trust**

--

_Five times when Hatter told the truth, and one time when Alice actually believed him._

--

**iii. **_a lucky guy_

Alice listened to him carefully, the crackling flames serving as a cozy backdrop to his confession; she listened to Hatter come clean without saying a word herself. He was being open and honest and… vulnerable, wasn't it, about his emotions for once. He wasn't lying; it _was_ an eye-opening experience, stumbling upon the crackpot old White Knight and the Kingdom of the Knights that was lost when the Red King fell and the Queen of Hearts came to power. For Hatter, it wasn't just about a quick score anymore—this was Wonderland. This was his _home_.

But, sure, maybe it wasn't such a brilliant idea to bring up the ring…

He tried to cover up his mistake quickly, promising to help her get home first. He purposely neglected to mention her boyfriend (since he much preferred to forget about that Jack Chase himself), and he only wished that after all she had seen, Alice didn't mind. It didn't work, of course. Alice was too quick to notice what Hatter was doing. That, or just too stubborn.

Hatter might've been able to convince himself that he'd had a change of heart, that his loyalty really did lie with the poor refugees of his world, but Alice had seen through all that… and Hatter couldn't help second guessing himself just a little bit either. Maybe he shouldn't have mentioned using the ring she wore—the _Wonderland _heirloom an _oyster_ wore—to buy his way back into the Resistance's good graces. He really was trying to look out for her… he just couldn't break a lifetime's worth of habit of watching out for himself first.

And, who knows? Maybe that skeptical look of hers _was_ right and Hatter was trying to fool himself in a way that Alice wasn't ready or even able to believe. Besides, there was a good chance that he hit his head pretty hard when he fell… as stylish as his hat undoubtedly was, there wasn't much padding when the ground gave out beneath your feet. Though, he had to admit, Charlie's conveniently placed hole certainly came in handy when a jabberwock was thundering after you.

Just then, the way Alice's deep, knowing eyes pierced his good intentions, Hatter thought he might've fancied a round two with the jabberwock over what was to come next...

She listened to his offer to help her get home before he took off with the stone of Wonderland with a wary air before asking quite pointedly, "And Jack?"

Hatter tried to think of a nice way to put it. He turned around, huffed, then decided to just go for it: "You have to forget about Jack," he said, frustration—and maybe something else—slipping into his tone. "We'll never get him out of the casino alive, and trying is only going to set off alarm bells." Why didn't she understand? If he wasn't careful, she was going to get herself killed! "It'll make your escape impossible," he added, trying to appeal to her sense of self-preservation.

That didn't work, either.

The look on her face made him feel like more of a snake than he thought he deserved; he was actually being honest for once, not just manipulative and only out for his own good. Always a double agent, always serving two sides, pledging allegiance to both in order to ensure survival for himself, Hatter knew he would have to choose one side—well and truly choose a side—eventually. He thought of the Kingdom of the Knights, of the beauty that was once Wonderland and could be again, of the damage the Queen had caused… and he made his choice.

The more he thought about it, the more he avoided her searching gaze, the more Hatter believed he made the right choice.

Maybe.

Probably.

Most likely…

Back in his smugglers' boat, back when they were cascading across the water in a hurried attempt to escape the queen's men, he'd nearly convinced himself to run, to leave Wonderland behind. But the idea of _we_ had been a fit of fancy. It had a nice ring to it, and it made much of their strange adventure worth it when Alice silently accepted his proposal to follow her back into her world—but he couldn't do that. He couldn't leave Wonderland, not like this.

So it was back to _I_, back to the way it had always been for Hatter. He just wondered why that made him feel like such a scoundrel, and why Alice didn't seem the least bit surprised when he told her he had to stay—or that she had to give up on Jack.

The girl wasn't surprised, but she was definitely angry. Alice was a whirlwind of emotion: determination, fear, mistrust, anger… she was nothing like the drops of instant gratification the Hearts Casino produced and he peddled for a good price. If it wasn't for the fact that those strong emotions were usually directed at him, Hatter might've thought it impressive.

"Okay, so you were just leading me on back there," Alice accused. There was a bite to her voice, something that caused Hatter to shut his eyes and exhale. And to think that he could've been sitting in his office, nursing a cup of tea and… well, if not safe, _content_ in the knowledge that neither the Resistance or the Queen of Hearts herself were coming after him.

Except then he never would've met Alice…

He sighed again, his hands antsy and his feet anxious. How could he tell her that it wasn't what she thought? That that wasn't true? He wanted to tell her, because clearly his actions—everything he had done for her so far… the good and the maybe not-so-good—hadn't been enough to show her, but Hatter, for one of the first times he could remember, couldn't find the right words.

"Just believe me," he cried, falling into the old act, the old routine, "it'll be suicide!"

Believe me… believe me… it seemed like he was always asking her to believe him.

He thought he knew what side he'd always been on, but it had taken crushing Alice's fledgling trust in him again to at last realize it, to really understand what side he was willing to devote his time and talents to; it was quite frustrating how every time she seemed to start believing him, something always fouled it up. First Dodo's unexpected reaction in the Great Library, now the truth that he needed the ring more than he wanted to help her get to Jack. He was willing to help _her_ get home—even if a good part of him was more insistent on keeping her in Wonderland—but there was more to this than just her, or him even.

Hatter had an inkling that there might always have been.

Still, he was a cad at heart; Hatter, the lovable rogue with a quick wit and even quicker tongue. He couldn't deny that anymore than he could deny the troublesome feelings he refused to think of as emotions—_he_ wasn't a fickle oyster—and he wasn't surprised when Alice walked away from him, choosing a seat on an old tree stump and staring into the flickering flames rather than meet his watching eyes. She looked beautiful in her disappointment, the shadows dancing across her profile and the light from the fire shining against her dark hair.

He sighed softly, the single sound echoing the sentiment. "Jack's a lucky guy," he murmured under his breath.

Her head jerked up. "What?" Obviously she wasn't ignoring him as much as he thought she would be.

"Nothing," he said quickly before launching into some story about how they were both tired and they could finish their argument tomorrow. Hatter felt he had a pretty good handle on Alice by now; there was no doubt in his mind that there would still be an argument to finish tomorrow.

He wasn't sure how he felt about that, either.

* * *

Author's Note: _To me, this is the scene that really marks the beginning of the change in their relationship dynamic. After the near-miss in the Great Library and the even nearer-miss with the jabberwock, Alice and Hatter really seem to be getting on well... until Hatter decides to tell her the truth. Not only does he begin to admit to Alice who he really is, and what he's really after, you also see him starting to really find himself. This is probably one of my favorite scenes in the whole mini-series and I really enjoyed working it through with Hatter's perspective. I hope you guys liked it, too!_

_-- stress, 12.26.09_


	4. finally changing

Disclaimer: _The characters in this story are the property of SyFy and Nick Willing and are only used for fan related purposes; any dialogue used is from the actual mini-series and is only used to further the story._

**--**

**A Matter of Trust**

--

_Five times when Hatter told the truth, and one time when Alice actually believed him._

--

**iv. **_finally changing_

Hatter was out of breath by the time he made it to the top. The hill was quite steep after all, and it wasn't as if he had stopped running once since he first left Alice. He hadn't. He'd run out of the fortress, he'd run down to the shore where he left his smuggler's boat, he'd run through the city to find Dormie, and then straight back to the Kingdom of the Knights to see Alice and Charlie again. But he had to run—Hatter was afraid she wouldn't be waiting for him if he took anymore time than he did.

She was. Alone and off on the hilltop, Alice was waiting for him, her arms crossed and her expression distanct. She hadn't run off herself, taking her own path through the forest again, which, of course, was a good thing. Hatter didn't think he'd be able to spring her out of the Hearts Casino a second time.

With an easy grin, he told her the good news: the Resistance wanted to help them and was going to send a special agent to take them to see Caterpillar. Her reaction was not what he expected, however. Rather than look pleased, Alice had a look on her face that he'd not seen her wear yet, a marveled look, maybe relief. Wonder, perhaps. Hatter had to work hard not to glance over his shoulder and see what she could be staring at with such wide, beautiful eyes.

Still, he couldn't help but ask: "You okay?"

"I was beginning to think you weren't coming back," she admitted in a throaty sort of voice.

Ah, so that was what it was about. "You still don't trust me?"

He bit back a sigh. What did he have to do to make her believe in him? He'd already taken a bullet for her, watched as his tea shop was ransacked, chased after a jabberwock, rode a jerky horse all the way to the Hearts Casino, snuck inside to free her and then dodged a deck of Suits to fly a flamingo—a flamingo that crashed into the water, mind—all to keep her safe. If she couldn't trust him by now, who_ could_ she trust?

She didn't answer him, choosing to change the subject. Hatter tried not to notice—or think to much on the answer to the question he posed of himself. As far as he was concerned, Jack Heart was back where he belonged. As long as Alice seemed to forget about the prince, Hatter was only too happy to oblige.

So he told her what she should hear. That the special agent the Resistance was sending out would be quick, that they could expect them quite soon. He told her what he hoped was the truth, getting more used to this honesty thing every time he opened his mouth.

"You're going to join them, aren't you?" Alice asked next, though they both knew it wasn't really a question. "Fight alongside them?"

"I have to try," he told her honestly. "As Dodo said, I've lived my life playing both sides of the court. It was the only way I could stay alive. I made the Heart's think I was working for them while I fed their enemies. Those days are over."

Over, he thought, but what sort of days would be beginning?

The two of them stood silently together on the top of the hill, each lost in thought, overlooking the Kingdom of the Knights, overlooking the rest of Wonderland. Neither said anything when Alice nodded at last, more to herself than to him, and started to lead their way back to Charlie's camp well inside the fortress.

She was quiet, the relief she felt and the doubt she'd experienced still hanging between them. All the same, Hatter was glad he had searched her out. There was a tension to the air, a certain kind of hesitance that Charlie's presence would have made awkward, and he was glad they got most of it out of their systems back on that hilltop.

Now, though, it seemed comfortable. Her welcome, the sincerity in her eyes and the words she said… it almost made his hurried trek into the city worth it. Well, now that he caught his breath at any rate. Not that it was so easy to keep it considering how quickly Alice started back down to their camp.

It wasn't until they were ducking under the tree branches, careful not to trip over protruding roots that Alice started to slow, absently playing with the watch on her wrist as if preoccupied by something. Hatter thought he knew Alice well enough by now to tell when something was on her mind… he just hoped it didn't have anything to do with Jack. Her father he could deal with, but Jack Heart?

Hatter couldn't say for sure what Alice was thinking about but her earlier revelation back in the elevator that Jack Heart, the crown prince of Wonderland, was the boyfriend she chased into Hatter's world was definitely weighing heavily on _his_ mind…

He shook his head, overtaking her and then asking sincerely, "What's the matter?" He half-wondered if she would shake her head and say nothing, maybe brush him off with the same brusque attitude he knew she was capable off. She didn't, but her words were definitely not what he expected.

"What will I do," she posed, sounding more like a lost little girl than the fiery spitfire he knew her to be, "if I get stuck here?"

Hatter didn't even hesitate. "Then I'll make sure you're okay," he promised heartily.

Alice's eyes softened, her guard dropping for just a moment. It was as if, at last, she was finally beginning to believe him, to trust in him. His heart started to thump frantically inside his chest, he pretended not to notice, and slowly he began to lean in towards her. It just seemed like the right sort of thing to do.

"I think your luck is finally changing," Hatter murmured to her as she leaned in to meet his kiss before thinking: _and mine as well._

"That's right, it is."

The voice, as aristocratic as it was unwelcome, intruded in on the privacy of the moment. Alice jumped back, half like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar; Hatter blinked away his frustration before turning to gaze warningly at the newcomer.

And there he was: Jack Heart, Prince of Hearts, heir to the throne and, he scowled, Alice's (former, Hatter certainly hoped) boyfriend.

"Hello, Alice," Jack said congenially, using a friendly tone that Hatter was well aware wasn't as friendly as it sounded. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Hatter felt the muscles in his right fist twitch. How mad would Alice be if he took a swing right at Jack Heart's too-perfect, I'm-better-than-you smug face? Considering the look of surprise on hers, the relief coupled with the wariness that Jack had found them, he was wagering she would be pretty ticked off. If only she wasn't such a skilled fighter… He still hadn't gotten over the shock of how she flipped Dodo over like that in the hallway.

Well, he decided, it was better safe than sorry. So, when his pride took over moments later and the urge to protect Alice led him to rush forward and confront the prince, face to face and eye to eye, Hatter made sure to stop and grab a stick instead.

Just in case.

* * *

Author's Note: _As I'm sure you'll notice by the gap of time that elapsed between the setting for chapter three and this chapter, there were quite a few choice Alice/Hatter scenes that I had to neglect in order to have this short story go the way I planned from the first chapter. After this there's going to be two more chapters but I do have one or two (maybe three, perhaps) one shot fics either in progress or in the early stages that pick up on their relationship during the mini-series as well as after. And, of course, I have a plot bunny for a full-length fic that's begging to be written... so yeah, we'll see about that. Nothing like new inspiration for the new year, eh?_

_-- stress, 12.28.09_


	5. i'll be fine

Disclaimer: _The characters in this story are the property of SyFy and Nick Willing and are only used for fan related purposes; any dialogue used is from the actual mini-series and is only used to further the story._

**--**

**A Matter of Trust**

--

_Five times when Hatter told the truth, and one time when Alice actually believed him._

--

**v. **_i'll be fine_

She'd given up the ring, for the chance to see her father again and because she swallowed Jack Heart's story about wanting to use it to overthrow his mother. Hatter knew he was being jealous, being, well, catty, but he couldn't help it. After all he'd done, done for her, she told the prince where she hid the ring just like that. All because she trusted him in a way she never quite trusted Hatter.

It was over then, wasn't it? Hatter was smart; he could see which way Alice's story was going—probably how it was always meant to be. The new hero was written in… it was time for the rogue to take his bow and leave.

"I wish you all the luck in the world, Alice," he murmured in an aside.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "You're coming with us, Hatter," she told him, as if the idea that she'd go on without him had never crossed her mind.

It had certainly crossed his. Hatter shook his head shortly; he very nearly let out a hollow laugh before thinking better of it. She didn't really understand, did she? "I don't think I figure in the future king's plans."

"He's coming with us," she appealed to Jack, determined yet tentative at the same time. It was one of the first times Hatter saw her as vulnerable. God, she looked beautiful for it.

For all her spunk and her spirit and her stubbornness, Hatter marveled over how hopelessly naïve Alice could still be, even after all she'd learned and seen since crossing over into Wonderland. He wondered if it was because she was an oyster—before realizing that maybe _he_'d been naïve enough for both of them. From the moment Ratty brought her to the tea shop, the poor thing dripping wet, Hatter had been holding out on hope for something even he didn't understand.

But no amount of tea would ever make this easier, he thought with a scowl, refusing to meet the gloating gaze of that damn Jack Heart. He had the power, the contacts, the _ring… _and Alice.

Jack had Alice, too. He always had. Ever since they first met in his back office in the Tea House, all he heard from the girl was an insistence to find Jack and return him to her world. But Jack didn't belong there, and he certainly didn't belong with Alice, but Hatter would never know that from the possession in his voice or the looks Alice had thrown Jack's way when he first found them she didn't know Hatter was watching.

Did she ever look at him that way, he wondered before gritting his teeth and keeping his eyes on her profile. If this was to be the last time he looked at her, Hatter wanted to remember every detail. The exact shade of blue her eyes were, the way her dark hair shadowed her pale face… everything.

In the end it didn't matter, none of it. Her words, his words, nothing at all. She wanted him to tag along, didn't she, but the last thing Hatter wanted was to be the third wheel when her dashing hero brought her to see Caterpillar. Of course the prince_ would_ have to be a Resistance insider—just the promise of meeting her father again was enough to make her forgive Jack, to stand by him. She believed him, she trusted him—

—and there was Hatter, all alone. Like always. No matter how much he didn't want her to leave him, he knew he had no choice; the choices didn't belong to him or even her anymore; everything was out of their hands now. Still, he felt his heart swell and his stomach drop when he heard her tell Jack that Hatter had to follow along, but it was pointless. He understood what was going on even if Alice didn't. He could mimic the prince's answer before Jack even gave it.

Hatter, you see, he wasn't _that_ naïve.

"Caterpillar was very clear," Jack announced haughtily, tucking the ring inside his jacket and out of sight. Hatter had half a thought to knock him over and take it himself. But he didn't. Of course he didn't. "The Resistance will only help you on their terms. You must come alone."

And Hatter, stewing inwardly, clenching and unclenching his right first in an attempt to maintain his control, had to wonder just _who _made up those terms…

"But Hatter stood by me," she argued. Her voice was steady, sure, even if her wide blue eyes did flicker between the two men.

"It's for your own safety," countered Jack before adding, "and your father's."

Alice should be safe, Hatter thought. She should be happy. A girl like her, she _deserved_ to be happy. There was only one thing Hatter could do that would allow her to have the happy ending she ought to: he had to let her go. She was too stubborn to just turn and leave him on her own. Funny how, after all he'd done to try and get her to believe him, to trust in him, it was his last act to give up on her.

"Hey," he said to Alice, calling under his breath, "I won't want to go with this guy anyway." Then, before he got another good look at her, before he changed his mind, Hatter turned his back on her and started to walk away.

He didn't get too far.

"What will you do?"

He cracked a small (sad) smile that didn't quite meet his eyes as he spun around innocently. She was looking at him in disbelief; it pained him to see her looking at him that way, knowing his decision to abandon her was what made her features twist in such a manner. Alice told him once that she had bad luck with guys—the last thing he wanted was for her to think of him as just another mistake.

Hatter tried to widen his grin, be charming when he didn't mean it. "Me? You kidding?" He dared a glance over at the prince. Unable to hold onto his fake smile, he nodded curtly and turned back to look at Alice. "I'll be fine."

And, for once, there was no doubt that—this time, at least—Hatter really _was_ lying.

"Believe me," he added sincerely, no trace of a smile on his lips at all, "you'll be better off with this guy." He paused, then, nodding his goodbye, he said, "Go," even though what he really meant was: _Stay_.

When he turned his back on Alice again, still unable to meet her eyes in case it made him do something even more reckless than threatening to take on the Prince of Hearts with a stick, he wondered if she'd figured out yet when he was telling her the truth. He'd just told her the truth—he only _wished_ it was a lie.

She left, as he expected her to. He stopped Charlie from following her, as he felt he should.

And then he waited, waited until the blond and the brunette were out if sight, before asking the old knight for a horse, coming up with some cockamamie story that even Charlie wasn't daft enough to believe. Alice may be better off with Jack Heart, but that didn't mean that Hatter was going to hide in the mountains, his tail tucked between his legs like the worthless bum the prince obviously thought he was.

This was war, and he was ready and raring to fight. He knew at last what side he was on.

Hatter just couldn't be sure _what_ he was fighting for…

* * *

Author's Note: _Only one more chapter to go! On the plus side, I have other fics in the work -- I posted an introspective to Jack's character yesterday and I plan on having another Hatter short (one that didn't make it into this set) either Friday or Saturday. And, of course, the last chapter to this story :) 'Til then, have a very happy and safe New Year!_

_-- stress, 12.31.09_


	6. i missed you

Disclaimer: _The characters in this story are the property of SyFy and Nick Willing and are only used for fan related purposes; any dialogue used is from the actual mini-series and is only used to further the story._

**--**

**A Matter of Trust**

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_Five times when Hatter told the truth, and one time when Alice actually believed him._

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**vi. **_i missed you…_

Standing outside of the white door with too many peepholes and no way for him to peep inside, Hatter decided he couldn't remember the last time he'd been this nervous.

Not even facing off against a jabberwock had made him feel like this, or when he had to send a falsified report to the Hearts Casino detailing where most of the tea profits went when he knew damn well that they went to bringing comforts and food to the Resistance members in the Great Library. He wasn't this nervous whenever his trusty hat went missing, though frantic was a good word, and he was more surprised than anything when he recognized Mad March wearing that ridiculous ceramic rabbit's head in place of his own. But not nervous. With his quick wit, quicker mouth and a right fist like his, there wasn't much out there that could make him falter—though the Queen of Hearts gesturing at his head was a pretty close try.

There was no doubt, however, that he was certainly feeling a bit nervous now. Apparently, he figured, all it took was a pretty girl in a once-wet dress to make his heart thump anxiously and the bread-and-butterflies in his stomach flutter about.

He missed her and, even as he had that thought, he knew how pathetic he sounded. He'd only known Alice for a week and already he was a little desperate to see her again. He missed it all. Her subtle beauty, her strength, her _loyalty_, the no-nonsense way of hers where she constantly, stubbornly refused to believe a word he said… though, Hatter admitted with a quirk of his lips, that part of her wasn't so constant, was it, since it seemed she was beginning to believe him, to trust—

—before she had left, that is.

Hatter's small grin dipped.

Running it through his curious head, backwards and forwards until he couldn't make any sense and the words lost all their meaning, Hatter couldn't say for sure what exactly their last conversation had been about. Something in the way Alice said goodbye almost sounded like she expected him to go with her; something in the way Hatter tried to suggest she might want to come back really was asking her to stay. But both of them were lost in translation, even if Alice was the more perceptive of the two.

She seemed to know what Hatter was trying to really say when he said _good-bye.._.

Her eyes brightened and she asked, "You want me to stay?"

"Hell no." Hatter, letting his practiced mouth do the thinking for him, answered before he knew what he should've said. Yes, for a start. Or, when can you move in, for another. But he didn't. He foolishly said, "No, you… I think you should go home."

The light dimmed, embarrassment replacing the spark that vanished just like that. "Yeah… yeah," she agreed, almost half-heartedly, "I've had enough of Wonderland for a lifetime."

And then she had left, making sure to give back his maroon overcoat before she vanished through the Looking Glass without so much as a backwards glance. Of course, that couldn't be entirely her fault since some fancy scientist gave her a helpful shove, but still. Alice left and Hatter sulked, his body aching from the doctors' torture, but something deeper hurting even more.

He was allowed to feel pity for approximately three minutes before shame and resentment and regret and, well, some other of those blasted emotions washed over him. Hatter was glad that he was still lingering in the Looking Glass room instead of standing barefoot on the casino floor. Those were the sort of emotions no one would ever want to experience in concentrated form. Hell, give him a bottle of Hope any day!

It was Jack, the new King of Hearts himself, who came to his rescue as Hatter stood there, for the first time since the adventure began doubting his next move. With a sniff and a martyr attitude that brought Hatter back to his senses, Alice's former boyfriend launched into some pompous lecture, thought better of it, and royally handed him the keys to the apartment Hatter was using in Alice's world and access to the clothes he was wearing now; somewhat reluctantly, he then offered the address Hatter would need, plus a cell phone with Alice's number programmed in it; and finally he had another of his scientists set the Looking Glass to take Hatter to the same place it took Alice. It was Charlie, next, who all but kicked Hatter through the shimmering reflection… but it was Hatter—_David _Hatter—who took the plunge and, knowing this was how the story should go, jumped straight through.

Time worked differently in Wonderland, he knew; it was fluid. It could be the first of the month, the fifth, it could be eight days back. In the Queen of Heart's world of instant gratification and _now! _everything depended on her mood. But time in the other world was fixed, slower even. Though it took Hatter more time than he would care to admit to finally come to his senses and follow after her, he arrived in Alice's world right behind her.

He nearly landed on top of her, too. Sprawled out on a concrete floor, her eyes were closed and her breathing was soft and slow. She was out cold.

"Just force yourself to breathe," the scientist had warned her before she pushed her through but Alice, it seemed, hadn't listened. Somehow Hatter wasn't surprised.

For just a moment, after he checked to make sure his headstrong Alice was all right—after he left Wonderland behind him for her, the least she could do was still be in one piece considering all he'd done already to keep her safe—he debated about the pros and cons of bringing Alice to her home himself. But Hatter hadn't managed to keep his head for so long by being foolish, and this didn't seem the time to start now. This wasn't his first trip through the Looking Glass and he knew from past smuggling excursions—because how else would he know that the Looking Glass was the most heavily guarded kit in Wonderland if he wasn't one of the reasons himself—how different this world was from the one he left behind.

In Wonderland you had to worry about the queen and her fatal mood swings. Here there were countless people he'd have to answer to, and inconvenient questions that might be posed—and that was including Alice's mother. Carrying her unconscious daughter home was not the sort of first impression he was hoping to make. Something more dashing, a little fanfare, perhaps some cheekiness… that was what he was going for. There was nothing else for him to do other than flag down some help, use his skill at manipulating words to suggest what might have happened instead and just pray that Alice remembered when she woke back up again, so that's what he did.

After that, all there had been left to do was wait. Hatter was not much good at waiting. As the minutes seemed to drag, he had to wonder if his old great-uncle's curse of being stuck in a never-ending tea party, time frozen out of a pointless grudge, might've followed the young Hatter into this world.

He whiled away some of the time at first by pacing outside of the hospital where Alice was taken before a shopkeeper gave him a funny look and he spent the rest of that afternoon walking around the city. True, he'd never been in this particular place before, Alice's city, but it didn't seem so different from Wonderland. Yeah, it was on the ground and perhaps there were fewer trees in some areas and some of the oysters were certainly strange, but, when it came down to it, they were almost like twins.

Hatter was quick, used to getting around inconspicuous-like, and it wasn't that hard for him to find his way, only getting lost once or twice. He got his fair share of queer looks which didn't seem quite fair considering some other fellas he met on the street. Remembering Jack Heart's last words to him, Hatter swallowed his pride and reluctantly followed Jack's advice.

This wasn't his first trip through the Looking Glass, though something told him—well, if things worked out the way he planned—that, maybe, if he was lucky, it might be his last. That thought in mind, he went to Jack's rented apartment, snorted at some of the clothes in the wardrobe before pulling on some trousers that surprisingly fit, a jacket that didn't make him look like the prince, and then sat down to wait. Even with all this practice now, he wasn't getting any better at that game.

Hatter waited until there was no possible way he could wait any longer. Using more charm than he probably needed to—her mother was already taken with David the construction worker for being the one to find Alice—he managed an invitation to the Hamilton's apartment under the guise of checking to see how well the girl was doing after her "accident". He didn't need the address she gave him, thanks to Jack, and he was glad Alice's mother didn't ask how he got their phone number.

It wasn't time for Hatter to reveal all his cards just yet. Besides, he was still a little resentful of Jack and he got in the way of that near-almost-could've been but unfortunately wasn't moment with Alice in the Kingdom of the Knights. The last thing he wanted to do was actually _admit_ that Jack Heart wasn't as big a prat as he thought.

He tucked his hat away for safe-keeping when the time came to visit Alice at her home; he nervously flattened his unruly hair with the palm of his hand, curious if she would recognize him or not. In his experience, Hatter wasn't really Hatter without his hat.

He had a new look, a new name, a new life—

—now he just needed Alice. And maybe a slice of pizza. The other world had some pretty good tea, especially by the queen's standards, but it was the pizza that really tipped the scales for him.

And Alice, too, of course.

As he walked up to her front door, almost wishing he'd taken that last bit of Jack's advice and brought roses—though he didn't want to be that forward… before realizing that he couldn't have been any more forward than following Alice through the Looking Glass if he tried—Hatter reflected on his current emotions; they seemed more concentrated, more real ever since he crossed over. Perhaps that was why he felt so… so less than confident. He still couldn't say when he'd last been this nervous. Though, now that he that he thought about it, watching Alice flip Dodo in the halls of the Great Library before turning her glare on him when she discovered his body armor… well, those were definitely some kind of nerves.

Hatter felt his dimples sink into his cheeks at the memory. Alice was definitely some kind of woman.

She wasn't going to get rid of him so easily, either. He'd managed to bum a horse off of Charlie to follow her the last time she left him behind, and that really wasn't so very different than following her through the Looking Glass, was it? Besides, it was only right that he showed up at her apartment now, waltzing into her world the way she had waltzed into his.

Checking his breath first and cracking his knuckles anxiously next, Hatter took a deep breath, wished for a cup of tea and, before he could do anything else, knocked on the door. He made sure to use his left, just in case; he shuddered to think what his right hand folded into a fist would do to Alice's front door if he hit it just a touch too hard.

He hadn't had the good fortune of meeting Alice's mother yet but, when she opened the door in answer to his knock, his first impression was that she was nearly as lovely as her daughter; Carpenter had been a lucky man. Now wouldn't be the time to tell her, of course—there was the forward thing to worry about, and he certainly couldn't explain about Carpenter—but he tucked the compliment into the back of his mind for future use.

Still holding out hope that, indeed, there would be need for future use, he warmly introduced himself to the woman. The name of _David_ still felt a little odd but he couldn't call himself Hatter, could he? He wasn't even wearing his hat!

She left him alone in the doorway, smiling before she turned away and called, "Alice come meet David."

Hatter took that as his cue to step inside, hesitant steps at first before he chided himself and let his desire to see Alice again push him into the hall. And there she was, the dark-haired beauty with the knowing eyes he saw every time he closed his. Moving slowly at first, weighed down by things he wish he could save her from, she only looked up and saw him when she crossed the threshold out of her room.

And then she grinned, part surprise, part relief and all wonder.

"Hatter!"

The bread-and-butterflies flapped excitedly as the sound of her voice but Hatter found himself relaxing slightly as the nerves melted away. She remembered. Thank goodness.

It all happened so fast then which, he mused later, was the very epitome of their… whatever they had. But he was Hatter and she was Alice and, when his Alice launched herself into his arms, wrapping hers around him tightly, that was all that mattered. This was exactly where each of them belonged: _together_.

"Finally," he sighed, wrapping his arms around her in turn as if afraid she would disappear through another looking glass if he let go. He closed his eyes before opening them again, just to make sure that this was really happening.

It was.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you," Alice told him honestly, her warm breath tickling the back of his neck. Hatter felt like he was having the breath squeezed out of him—and he wouldn't have it any other way. He'd told her the truth when he said her hugs felt good. This was, by far, the best hug he'd ever had.

But, whether he was David or he was Hatter, he was admittedly a touch greedy. He wanted more. Waiting had made him antsy, and this time there was no Jack Heart to stick his nose in where it didn't belong.

"I missed you," he murmured, aware her mother was only a few feet away and, well, not particularly caring.

And, as Alice leaned in and gave him the kiss he'd been denied too many times, Hatter was pleased to see she finally believed him at last.

* * *

Author's Note: _Well, that's that. I do want to thank everyone who took the time to read these shorts, and even review/favorite this story. I had a ball looking at some of the scenes from Hatter's view, and the view of a shipper, and I'm pleased with how it came out. This chapter did have a bit of a tie-in to my Jack-centric one shot, Jack's Heart, but only in that I envisioned Jack being instrumental in helping Alice get her man -- more out of a desire to see Alice happy than anything but still... Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this and keep an eye out for another one shot or two and a WIP I have nearly read to start posting. It should be fun :)_

_-- stress, 01.08.10_


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